Study, Party, Explore, Repeat! Past Review
By Jodi Grider (The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 07/17/2017 to 11/17/2017 with
Flinders University: Adelaide - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I learned how to study, how to budget my money and my time, how to enjoy my own company as well as the company of others, and, most importantly, I gained so much independence.
Review Photos
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 0-2 weeks |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
The education experience was superb. The only difference was that there were generally less assignments that contributed to the final grade. Because of this, the Flinders exchange program requires effective time management skills and study skills, as well as careful attention to detail of the syllabi. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The administration was excellent and very accomodating. They checked in with you through the Flinders International Student Office very often and gave many opportunities to explore nearby areas around Flinders University and Adelaide, SA. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The living arrangements were also very good, with a meal served for breakfast and dinner on weekdays. However, be aware that there isn't lunch served and that no food is served in the cafeteria on the weekends. |
| * Food: |
There's not a whole lot to say besides the food was good. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
I got great exposure to the local culture and social activities of Adelaide, mainly through my friends I met in the Uni Hall. There were also a lot of events held by the Hall itself and, if you are open and willing to just hang out, the Australian students are very kind and welcoming. |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
The good thing about Australia is that they require you have their national insurance for students, called Bupa. So, while you will be buying a separate health care plan for your stay as well as whatever your home university requires, it will be worth it because you will be covered for most health concerns. |
| * Safety: |
It was extremely safe. I had no issues whatsoever and as long as you practice common-sense safety precautions (like don't walk around alone at night, don't jaywalk, don't break the law, etc.) you won't have any problems. The police are also very friendly and are very good at giving clear directions if you get lost. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
The program was amazing! There was so much to do, so many people from all over the world to meet, and so many laughs to have! If I could go back, I would go, for sure, and I'd stay for a full year instead. |
Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It wasn't too bad; however, on the weekends spending increased significantly. The best advice I could give is to keep a budget with something like a ledger or a Google spread sheet so you can see where your money is going. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | $125 roughly |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Don't buy more food than you need while you're at the store and shop in stores like Aldi or Kmart. These places have very affordable food prices. The most affordable is the Central Market, which is a 30 minute bus ride from campus headed downtown. However, if you don't mind the time, you can make a day trip out of it and go see some of the free museums and events downtown, then grab groceries on the way back to campus. That's what I usually did and it made for a very fun Friday afternoon. Another must is a MetroCard. You can get a student MetroCard at the Post Office on campus or at any of the other locations. I would suggest putting at least $75 to start and, depending on how often you go out to town, increase that amount accordingly. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Direct Enrollment/Exchange
| * Did you study abroad through an exchange program or did you directly enroll in the foreign university? | Exchange |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | That the homesickness gets bad for me when there is a crises back home and I'm not there to help. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Outright UrbaniteA social butterfly, you're happiest in bustling cities with hip people, and took advantage of all it had to offer. You enjoyed the nightlife, and had fun going out dancing, and socializing with friends. Fun-loving and dressed to the nines, you enjoyed discovering new restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars in your host country. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
EDUC1221 Play Learning and Development |
| Course Department: | School of Education |
| Instructor: | Susan Krieg |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | It was a course design to prepare future teachers with leading research and data supporting the importance of play to the development and learning of young children. Because of this, the course was very reading-heavy and required a lot of time considering how the information can be practically applied. However, this was what I expected, as an education major, thus it was a useful class. The assessments consisted of several reading assignments, a presentation, and a final reflection paper. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
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HIST1803: 'The Lucky Country?' Australia and the World since 1936 |
| Course Department: | School of History and International Relations |
| Instructor: | Romain Fathi |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | The course was a challenge because I personally did not have much knowledge of Australian history prior to taking the course. This cause a bit of a disconnect with the social nuances of the historical facts I learned in the class; however, the discussions were extremely helpful in filling in the gaps. In this class I participated more than I would in my home university because I didn't know Australian history before this class; however, besides that, the course work was very reasonable. There were three major papers due and participation in the weekly discussion was a major part go the final grade. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
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VISA2404: Studio Practice |
| Course Department: | School of Education |
| Instructor: | Amy Hamilton |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | As expected, the studio art class was challenging in that the classwork was self-driven and the major assignments were based on research and experimentation did on your own time with various mediums, techniques, etc. The class required much outside of class time, however, the classwork and home assignments were engaging and fun. The class is assessed through original artworks, small home works, and your cumulative, extensive art research documented in your journal. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | no |
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PHYS1101 Fundamental Physics 1 |
| Course Department: | School of Chemical and Physical Sciences |
| Instructor: | Jamie Quinton |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | This course was very challenging for me because I have never taken a collegiate-level science class. However, the instructor;s explaining the course material and relating the lecture and textbook readings to the lab work we did was excellent. The class was assessed through weekly homework, a bi-weekly lab, and a final exam at the end of the semester where you had to get 50% to pass the class, regardless of your current grade. With lots of help and participating in the class, I was able to be successful. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | No |
